Episode 1

Peer-e-Kamil

This episode presents several dramatic vignettes from Umera Ahmed's novel, Peer-e-Kamil. It follows the intersecting lives of characters lik

Key takeaways

• Javeria expresses a profound ambition to become Pakistan's leading eye specialist.
• A violent physical altercation occurs between Moiz and his younger brother involving a tennis racket.

Main topics

• Ambition and Dreams
• Sibling Rivalry

Notable quotes

My biggest wish in life is that I grow up.

Conclusion

The episode provides a multi-layered introduction to the character arc

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) P. R. A. Kamil, a famous novel by Umair Ahmed, which you can now listen to in audio. My biggest wish in life was to be able to think with my mouth pressed against the ballpoint pen. Then I took a deep breath and smiled with determination. It's very difficult to answer this question. Why is it difficult? Javeria asked him. Because I have many wishes and every wish is very important to me. He nodded and said, they were sitting on the floor of the auditorium with a wall. It was their eighth day in FSC classes and they were sitting in the auditorium in the free period. Eating the salty peanuts one by one, Javeria asked him, what is your biggest wish in life, Imam? Imam looked at him with astonishment and thought, First you tell me, what is your biggest wish in life? Instead of answering, the imam asked the opposite question. First I asked, you should answer first. Javeria nodded. Okay, fine. Let me think more. The imam immediately accepted defeat and said, My biggest wish in life is that I grow up. One wish is that my life is very long. He said, Why? Javeria laughed. I just feel that my life is very short. At least I should get 100 years in this world. And then I want to do so much. If I die soon, then all my desires will be unfulfilled. He said, putting a peanut in his mouth. Okay, and? Javeria said. And that I want to become the biggest doctor in the country. The best eye specialist. I want my name to be on the top of the list when the history of eye surgery is written in Pakistan. He smiled and looked up at the sky. Okay, and what if you never become a doctor? Javeria said. After all, it's a matter of merit and fate. It's not possible. I'm working so hard that I'll get every chance of merit. Then my parents have so much money that if I can't go to any medical college here, they'll send me to a foreign country. But if you can't become a doctor, it's impossible. This is my biggest wish in life. And I can leave everything for this profession. This is my dream. And how can you leave dreams? Speaker 1 (3:12) Impossible. Javeria, you are so ungrateful. And you were saying a while ago that you want a long life. And now you are saying that you will die. Yes, then what will I do after being alive? All the plans are about my medical. And if this thing is out of life, then what will remain? That is, one of your big desires will kill another big desire. Speaker 1 (3:46) You can say that. Okay, if you fail to become a doctor, how will you die? Will you commit suicide or die in ruin? Javeria asked with great interest. I will die in ruin. I cannot commit suicide. Imam said carelessly. And if you fail to die in ruin, I mean if you fail to die soon, will you live a long life despite not becoming a doctor? No, I know that if I don't become a doctor, I will die very soon. I will be so sad that I will not be able to live. She said with certainty. You, you are so happy. I can never believe that you can be so sad that you cry and die. And that too just because you could not become a doctor. Like funny. Javeria said in a way that made him laugh this time. You should stop talking about me and talk about yourself. What is your biggest wish in life? The Imam changed the subject and said, Let it be. Why should I let it be? Tell me. You will feel bad. Javeria said something in a hushed voice. The Imam turned his head and said in surprise, Why will I feel bad? Javeria remained silent. What is it that I will feel bad? The Imam answered his question. You will feel bad. Javeria said in a silent voice. After all, what is the connection between my life and your biggest wish? That I will feel bad about it? This time, the imam asked in a very confused manner. Is your wish not to become a doctor? The imam suddenly remembered. Javeria Hasti. No, life is more important than just becoming a doctor. He said in a philosophical manner. Leave the first Abu Jawaana and tell me. The imam said. I promise you, I won't feel bad. The imam extended his hand to him and said, Despite promising, you will be very upset when you hear me. It's better if we talk about something else. Javeria said, Okay, I'll guess. Your wish is related to something very common for me. Right? The imam said something while thinking. Javeria shook his head. Now the question arises that, What could be so important for me that I stopped talking? But until I know what you want, I can't guess anything. Tell me, Javeria. Please. Now I am getting very suspicious. She begged. She kept thinking for a while. Imamah kept looking at her face. After a while, Javeria looked at Imamah with her head up. Apart from my profession, the things that matter to me right now are only one. And if you want to say anything about it, then say it. I will not mind. Imam said to Sanjitki, Javeria glanced at him with awe. She was looking at a ring in her hand. Javeria smiled. My biggest wish in life is that you... Javeria told her her wish. The face of the imam turned white. Was it a shock or a shock? Javeria could not guess. But the impressions on her face were telling her that the sentences coming out of Javeria's mouth was the opposite of her every idea. I told you that you would feel bad. Javeria tried to present the same cleanliness. But the imama kept looking at her without saying anything. Speaker 1 (7:33) Moiz was crying out in pain. His hands were on his stomach. A 12-year-old boy standing in front of him, with the help of his torn T-shirt, cleaned the blood from his nose. And once again, he hit the tennis racket in his hand with all his strength on Moiz's leg. Moiz screamed out of his throat once again. Speaker 1 (7:59) And this time he was right. In a moment of disbelief, he saw his younger brother, who was beating him with this racket without any reason. Which Moees had brought to beat him a while ago. This was the third fight between them this week. And his younger brother was the one who started the fight three times. Moees and his relationship had always been unhappy. His fight from childhood to now was limited to verbal and verbal talks and threats. But now for some time, they used to get down on the ground. Even today, this happened. They had come back from school together. And while getting down from the car, his younger brother pulled out his bag from the back of the car with great care when Moiz was taking out his bag. Speaker 1 (8:57) Moise was very angry. Moise was very upset. You have gone blind. He was going inside with a sad face. He turned around and saw Moise. He opened the lounge door and went inside. Moise's body was on fire. He walked in behind him. If you do this again, I will break your hand. When he reached near him, Moise again leapt. He put his back shoulder down and both hands on his waist and stood up. I will take it out. What will you do? Will you break your hand? Do you have so much courage? I will tell you this when you do this again. Moise moved towards his room. But his brother with full strength He pulled his bag and forced him to stop. No, you tell me now. He picked up Moiz's bag and threw it away. Moiz's face turned red. He picked up his brother's bag lying on the ground and threw it away. Without waiting for a moment, his brother hit Moiz's leg with all his might. He hit Moiz's face with all his might. Which hit his nose. The next moment, his nose started bleeding. Speaker 1 (10:18) Despite the intense attack, there was no sound from his throat. He tried to squeeze Moiz's tie and try to press his neck. Moiz pulled his shirt from his collar. He heard the shat tear. He poked his little brother's stomach with all his might. His tie came out of his brother's hand. Wait, I'll break your hand and show you. Moiz gave him a curse and picked up a racket lying in a corner of the lounge. He tried to kill his younger brother. But the next moment, the racket was in his brother's hand. He turned around with all his might and hit the racket on Moiz's stomach with such speed that he could not even save himself. He then threw the racket on his waist and leg. From inside, their elder brother came out in the state of excitement. Speaker 1 (11:12) What's the problem with you two? You started a ruckus as soon as you got home. As soon as he saw him, the younger brother put the racket down. And you? Aren't you ashamed to hit your older brother? His eyes now went to the racket in his hand. It didn't come. He threw the racket aside, saying it with great force. And with great fear, he started going inside, lifting his bag that was lying at a distance. Speaker 1 (11:38) Moise said to his younger brother, climbing the stairs in a loud voice, You will have to bear the loss. He was still holding his leg. Sure, why not? With a strange smile, he stopped at the last step of the stairs and said to Moise, Next time you bring a bat. Tennis racket didn't work. Your bone didn't break. Moise was shocked. You take care of your nose. She must have broken down. Moiz kept looking at the stairs in a rage. Where he was standing a while ago. Speaker 1 (12:16) Mrs. Samantha Richards sat on the first chair with the window in the second row and looked at the boy for the fourth time. He was also busy looking out of the window with great carelessness. He would occasionally take his eyes off the outside. One look would look at Mrs. Samantha and then look outside. In a foreign school in Islamabad, she came to teach the biology of this class on the first day. She was a diplomat's wife. And a few days ago, Islamabad came with her husband. Teaching was her profession. And wherever her husband was posted, she would teach in schools. Before that, the teacher who taught biology, while continuing Mrs. Mehreen's scheme of work, she made a few introductory speeches and dialogues with the class, and started explaining the heart and blood system on the writing board. Speaker 1 (13:14) While explaining the diagram, he saw the boy peeking out of the window. Using old techniques, keeping his eyes focused on the boy, he suddenly stopped speaking. Speaker 1 (13:27) The class was completely quiet. The boy turned his head and looked inside. Mrs. Samantha got his eyes from Richard. Mrs. Samantha smiled and once again he started his lecture. For some time, he kept his eyes on the boy who was now busy writing something on his notebook. After that, Mrs. Samantha focused her attention on the other students in the class. She thought he was very embarrassed. He will not look out again. But only after two minutes, he again looked out of the window. She again became silent while speaking. Without stopping, the boy turned his neck and looked at her again. This time Mrs. Samantha did not smile, but started giving a lecture again by looking at him with great seriousness. After a few moments, he again looked at the boy after looking at the writing board. Speaker 1 (14:25) he was busy looking out the window. This time, something unnoticed appeared on his face. Speaker 1 (14:34) She was silent while twirling. And as soon as they were silent, the boy looked at them from the window. This time, there were some complaints on the boy's forehead. One look at Mrs. Samantha with a naked eye and he started looking out of the window again. His guess was so humiliating that Mrs. Samantha Richards' face turned red. Salar, what are you looking at? He asked strictly. Nothing. He was looking at them with his eyes closed. Do you know what I am teaching? Hope so. He said in such a rude manner that Samantha Richards hit him with a hand-holding hammer and closed it with a cap and threw it on the table. If that's the case, then come here and make this diagram and label it. He said this while cleaning the writing board with this bunch. After this, the boy's face was colored in many colors. He saw the students sitting in the classroom exchanging glances with each other. That boy was now looking at Samantha Richards with cold eyes. As soon as he removed the last mark from the writing board, he lifted his chair with a snap. With fast feet, he lifted the marker on the table and made a diagram on the writing board with caution. After 2 minutes and 57 seconds, he put the cap on the marker and threw it on the table in the same way Samantha Richards threw it. And without looking at Samantha, he came to his chair and sat down. Mrs. Richard did not see him jumping or going towards his chair. She was looking at this labeled diagram that was made from three knots on the writing board in the form of uncertainty. She took ten minutes to make it. And it was better than their diagram. She could not find any small mistake. She turned her neck and looked at the boy again. He was looking out of the window again. Speaker 1 (16:29) Wasim knocked on the door for the third time. This time, the voice of the Imam came from inside. Who is it? I'm here, open the door. Wasim said, moving